Xi skips airport greeting for Trump in Beijing, marking a chilly start to the summit

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on May 13 for a three-day state visit and was met on the tarmac by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng rather than Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Chinese state media said Han welcomed Trump at the airport, and Associated Press photos from the arrival showed Han walking with Trump during the ceremony. The White House also posted video of Trump’s arrival in Beijing on May 13. The airport sequence quickly drew attention online because Xi has personally greeted some foreign leaders on other visits, but official Chinese coverage of Trump’s arrival named Han as the greeter. ### Who actually met Trump when Air Force One landed? Chinese state news agency Xinhua said Trump was welcomed at the airport by Han Zheng when he arrived in Beijing on the evening of May 13. The same Xinhua dispatch said Trump’s state visit ran from May 13 to May 15 at Xi’s invitation. Associated Press coverage of the arrival said Trump was greeted by Han, along with Chinese ambassador to Washington Xie Feng, Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and U.S. envoy to Beijing David Perdue. (english.news.cn) AP photos and pickup published by U.S. outlets showed Trump walking the red carpet with Han at Beijing Capital International Airport. ### Was there still a formal arrival ceremony? Beijing Capital International Airport hosted a ceremonial welcome on May 13 even without Xi on the tarmac. AP-based and other published accounts said the arrival included a military honor guard, a military band and roughly 300 Chinese youths waving U.S. and Chinese flags. (newsday.com) White House video posted on May 13 showed Trump arriving in Beijing for a state visit, matching the timing and setting described by Chinese and U.S. reports. CBS, citing Reuters photography from the scene, also described an arrival ceremony at the airport in Beijing. ### Did Xi meet Trump later in the visit? (newsmax.com) Beijing meetings between Trump and Xi took place the next day. CNBC photo coverage published May 14 showed Trump and Xi attending a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. White House live video also listed Trump meeting Xi in Zhongnanhai on May 15 and Trump’s departure from Beijing the same day. (whitehouse.gov) Chinese state media had framed the trip in advance as a state visit with talks on bilateral relations and broader international issues. AP reported before the arrival that the summit agenda included Iran, trade and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. ### Why did the airport greeting become a story online? An X post circulated on May 15 claiming Xi had not greeted Trump at the airport and contrasting Trump’s reception with the treatment Xi has given other leaders. (cnbc.com) The available reporting supports the core factual point that Xi was not the official greeter at the airport and that Han filled that role instead. (english.news.cn) News reports and commentary diverged on what, if anything, the optics meant. Some accounts described the scene as a snub, while others cited diplomats or analysts saying the protocol was not necessarily unusual for a state visit. Because Chinese official reporting on the arrival simply identified Han as the welcoming official, the verifiable point is narrower than the online argument: Trump landed in Beijing on May 13, and Xi was not the leader waiting for him on the tarmac. (english.news.cn) ### What comes next after the airport optics? May 15 was the final day of Trump’s state visit to China, according to Xinhua, and White House video showed Trump departing Beijing that day. The next public milestone in the trip sequence was Trump’s departure from China after meetings with Xi in Beijing on May 14 and May 15. (english.news.cn)